Chapter Thirty-Three: An Invitation from Yunjia Tianyu

The center forward, without any pretense, was persuaded by the young man. Moreover, the fact that the young man referred to him as “young” rather than “small” brought immense satisfaction to Long Bisheng. Every child hopes others will treat them with the respect reserved for adults, and the young man’s manner clearly appealed to Long Bisheng’s psyche.

Seeing Long Bisheng’s expression, the young man smiled and said, “I came today specifically to visit your father... Is your dad at home?”

“He is,” Long Bisheng replied without asking why the visitor sought his father, nodding immediately and leading the young man toward his house—by this time, it was already evening, and Long Yuyun was resting at home.

As Long Bisheng brought the young man inside, Long Yuyun had just finished a phone call with a comrade from Dalian. He learned that football schools in Liaoning rarely admit young players from other provinces. The reason was simple: Liaoning possessed a strong football foundation, and with capable local youth, there was little need to recruit from elsewhere. Additionally, the capacity of an ordinary football school was limited. It was said that the annual quotas at several Liaoning football schools were fiercely contested, making admission extremely difficult.

Recently, the Football Association’s campaign against illegal football schools had proceeded smoothly, but since regular schools had not expanded rapidly, many young players were left without a place to play. This situation persisted until Pei Wei, the owner of Yun Jia Tianyu, launched the “Spark Project,” building football schools in ten non-traditional football regions across the country, which finally alleviated the problem. But that was a story for another time.

When his son brought a guest, Long Yuyun was momentarily surprised, but soon recognized the young man who had enthusiastically answered his questions about various legitimate football schools across the country.

“Hello, my surname is Wei—same as ‘defend’—my name is Wei Zhe, and I am a scout for Yun Jia Tianyu Club,” the young man said, extending his hand to Long Yuyun.

Long Yuyun shook Wei Zhe’s hand, puzzled. “Weren’t you a staff member of the Xi’an Football Association? How did you become a scout for Yun Jia Tianyu?”

Wei Zhe laughed. “I’ve always been a scout for Yun Jia Tianyu. That time, I was only assisting the Xi’an Football Association... There are only a handful of people at the Xi’an association, and since the principal of that football school is a local, the association’s own people investigating would easily alert those involved. So, they asked me, an outsider, to step in. I happened to be in Shaanxi for business.”

“Oh, I see,” Long Yuyun nodded in understanding. It was like police officers handling cases outside their jurisdiction to prevent locals from colluding. He believed it would be laughable if the Xi’an Football Association claimed ignorance about the school’s situation, especially since nearly a hundred students couldn’t possibly escape notice. It seemed that bringing in Wei Zhe as an undercover investigator wasn’t just the idea of the Xi’an association; the Chinese Football Association likely played a part as well.

This made Long Yuyun realize Yun Jia Tianyu Club must have strong ties with the Chinese Football Association.

With this in mind, Long Yuyun warmly invited Wei Zhe to sit in the living room. The timing of Wei Zhe’s visit suggested he might bring good news—otherwise, what would connect a current military officer and a club scout?

Once seated, Wei Zhe waved off the offer of a cigarette and got straight to the point. “Mr. Long, I’m here today on behalf of Yun Jia Tianyu Football School to invite your son to enroll.”

Long Yuyun was stunned. For over a month, he had agonized over getting his son into a reputable football school, and now, as if someone had delivered a pillow just when he wanted to sleep, the nation’s top youth training institution had come to him!

He had considered sending his son to Yun Jia Tianyu Football School, but he knew no comrades there. Given the school’s reputation, even more people would want to enroll, and Long Yuyun wasn’t sure his son had the ability to get in.

He thought about asking Azati for information, but since Azati entered Yun Jia Tianyu, he never returned, and even his family didn’t know how he was faring. Azati’s father sent a letter on Long Yuyun’s behalf, but there had been no reply.

Seeing Long Yuyun silent, Wei Zhe misunderstood and quickly explained, “You needn’t worry about the fees, Mr. Long. Our school charges the same as ordinary schools of the same level—not much, with low living expenses. If, after graduating from junior high, your son advances to the U-15 squad, there will be no fees at all, and those who perform well even receive living stipends... Our school isn’t profit-driven.”

“With such favorable terms, anyone would be tempted... But why choose Bisheng?” Long Yuyun asked hesitantly.

“There’s a reason, of course,” Wei Zhe smiled. “At Xi’an Hope Football School, I observed closely. The training programs arranged by the coaches were extremely dull, harsher than what most ten-year-olds could endure, yet Long Bisheng persevered. His fitness and physical qualities are outstanding, and he’s built a solid technical foundation. At his age, being able to endure such monotonous basic training already demonstrates his passion for football... At Yun Jia Tianyu, our principle is to select talent in every form: we take those with aptitude, but we also value those who are willing to work hard. Whether Long Bisheng has innate talent, I can’t yet say, but with his physical condition and determination, he’s at least promising material. That’s why I’m here today.”

“Wonderful!” Long Yuyun grasped Wei Zhe’s hand, overcome with excitement. “What are the requirements for enrollment? Please tell me!”

Wei Zhe was somewhat surprised by the reaction of this aging officer. What he didn’t realize was that his words were the very first affirmation Long Bisheng had ever received in football; for so long, no one had acknowledged his potential, and even Long Yuyun himself had begun to lose faith.

“There will be an assessment, of course. Although our school is large, admitting hundreds each year, there aren’t strict limits on numbers. Generally, if a scout recommends someone, they can enroll. With Long Bisheng’s fundamentals, admission shouldn’t be a problem.” Wei Zhe stood up. “School starts August twenty-fifth, about half a month from now. If you agree, preparations can begin right away.”

ps: The greatest turning point in Long Bisheng’s life has arrived. What will his future hold? Let’s wait and see.